Right, that’s exactly what I…… Hey, wait a minute! :-)

Seriously though, fair enough, fair enough. I encountered their voices for the first time in listening to The Eye of the World. And the story was so compelling that it gave me a very good first impression.

On the other hand, my favorite author is Haruki Murakami. And the only audiobook I’ve heard for him I couldn’t stand for more than 5 minutes. Had to take it back.

Anyway, have a good week.

My dislike of Kate Reading came from the same deal. She did several Patricia Cornwell novels that I listened to, and I just couldn’t deal with that tone of voice she had. Again, it also might have to do with the fact that I grew weary of Patricia Cornwell’s stuff, and Kate Reading couldn’t be un-associated with that. Who knows. I’d been done with both Patterson and Cornwell for a few years before I ever listened to my first Robert Jordan Audiobook, and I just brought those feelings with me I guess. Kate Reading is a perfect voice for the prissy, bitchy, stuffy Aes Sedai though, you’re definitely right there.

I disagree completely about Steve Eley. I feel a sense of delight whenever I hear his voice come on at the beginning of Escape Pod. He is a great reader. He utterly commits to the story. And also he brings this certain open enthusiasm to whatever he reads.

I also disagree with Big about the Wheel of Time readers. Michael Kramer and Kate Reading. I think they did an excellent job. Often there’s a certain period of acclimation at the beginning of hearing a new voice. But once it clicks in, if it works it really works. I associate Kramer’s voice with that kind of ‘adventure’ feeling that narrators of the 50s and 60s had. And Reading is definitely the voice of the Aes Sedai.

All in all, I love a great reading. Nothing better.

And as this is the Dunesteef, I’ll state again that Big and Rish you both do a tremendous job. I don’t know how you gained such talent but I sure do appreciate it!

I’m just kidding!

I liked this story. It was… cute. And it had that one killer line, you know the one I mean.

Ah, friendship.

Anyway, there’s this guy who does audiobooks called Stefan Rudnicki (I believe), and I’ve heard enough good readings by him that when I see his name, I think, “Oh, this is bound to be a good one.”

It would be a fine job to work for Recorded Books or Blackstone Audio. Sure would beat having assorted chemicals dumped in my eyes for scientist to observe the varied reactions.

I look forward to hearing more stories!

Glymmer

Alasdair Stuart – love his voice. Every time I hear him, I think, “Wow, they have Neil Gaiman doing their podcast!” And Neil is one of the few authors who is the perfect narrator for his own books.

I loved Patrick Tull’s narration of Patrick O’Brian’s Maturin/Aubrey books – all 21. The way he says “chapter one” always makes me grin. He says it like, “I have got the _best_ story to tell you. I am glowing with excitement in my reserved British way, and you are going to love it!”

Garth Nix’s Abhorsen books are narrated by Tim Curry, and they are wonderful. His Keys to the Kingdom series, narrated by Allan Corduner, are also quite good. It’s funny; I can barely stomach those books in text. Certain wasteful, repetitive elements of his style just make me want to reach for a red pen when I read them, but I can listen to them all day long and not be annoyed. They are wildly imaginative.

George Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire were terrible in audio. I listened to them anyway, because they’re some of my favorite books, and I wanted to re-read them before the most recent book came out, but ye gods. Granted, it would be a super human feat for one reader to keep all those voices straight, but some characters start out with an English accent and end up Scottish. Also, the books are full of women and children, and the narrator is only capable of sounding like a 60-year-old man.

> I love Norm Sherman’s voice. I always feel like he’s telling the story at a campfire with a flashlight under his chin.

That’s a perfect description, Liz. Norm is doing the voice for the most charismatic character in Cowry Catchers, and he is doing an awesome job. :) Rish and Big also did bang up jobs. You guys don’t give yourself enough credit. When I first started listening to the Dunesteef, it took me a while to figure out that it was only two guys, owing largely Rish’s ability to sound like totally different people.

I’ve never heard a whole audiobook that wasn’t also a podcast, but I think I’d like to hear George Takei’s readings of the Captain Sulu audiobooks that came out in the… early 90s?

The discussion at the end is always one of my favorite parts of the show.

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